The China National Space Administration (CNSA) releases mid-flight images of Mars probe Tianwen-1 as the country's National Day coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival on Oct. 1, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

China's first spacecraft to Mars, Tianwen-1, has travelled more than 400 million kilometers after 163 days in space and is expected to enter Mars orbit next month, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

On Sunday, Tianwen-1 was around 130 million kilometers from Earth and about 8.3 million kilometers from Mars, said the CNSA.

If all goes as planned, Tianwan-1 will enter orbit around Mars in mid-February and land on the red planet in late April.

Tianwen-1 consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. China is the first nation to try to transport all three components to Mars at once.

The five-metric-ton spacecraft aims to search for hints of life and analyze the Martian environment, according to CNSA.

(Compiled by Zhang Heng)